Buckthorn, Is It The Real Miracle Fruit?

by Yvonne Glasgow

Photo:Flicker/ rimblas

Buckthorn, The Miracle Fruit

 It seems like every few months there is some new miracle food, or fruit, out there that can fight disease and make us healthier. One of the latest ones was the Acai berry, which is still popular. Now, Sea buckthorn is the talk of the healthcare and weight loss world. Even Dr. Oz and Andrew Weil, MD are both sharing the benefits of this little fruit with the world. Buckthorn is being touted as “the miracle fruit,” but why? Most fruits are great for us to eat because they contain vitamins that the body needs to survive, and antioxidants that help kick out the bad stuff that comes into our bodies from pollution, pesticides and other nasty things. Buckthorn is rich in vitamin C, but it has so much more going for it than that.

 What is sea buckthorn?

 Sea buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides L., is a small yellow/orange berry with a tart flavor that grows in the wild on a shrub. It is found in Eurasia and in Northern China. Buckthorn isn’t new to healthcare and healing though, it has been used in China for over twelve centuries. Sea buckthorn is also commonly called olivello. It isn’t just the berry from the buckthorn plant that carries healing properties though. In fact, each part of it has some sort of healing properties, including the seeds and leaves.

 What can sea buckthorn do for you?

  To start off with, buckthorn is very high in antioxidants. This gives it anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. The buckthorn berry is virtually a multivitamin all on it’s own; it contains vitamins A, B, B1, B2, C, D, E, K and P. It also contains carotenoids, flavonoids, folic acid, amino acids, phenols and more. The vitamin C content in this little fruit is ten to fifteen times that found in oranges. It also has a higher vitamin E content than most other sources. Most of the vitamin C and A are found in the seeds of the fruit. An added benefit to this super fruit is the fact that it also contains fatty acids. Rich in Omega 3, 6, and 9. The leaves contain flavanoids and carotenoids. What does all of this really mean?

 The antioxidant content in sea buckthorn flushes free radicals out of the body, which can help with cancer prevention. The healthy fatty acids help the body to maintain healthy heart function, protecting people from stroke, heart attacks and high blood pressure. Buckthorn is the miracle fruit because it can do so much for the human body. Not only does it help with heart health, but it also helps with skin health. It helps fight serious skin conditions and is even used in cosmetics to help maintain healthy skin. It’s also believed to be anti-aging and to help fight acne. Other benefits include oral health, as it is used to help fight gum disease and promote healthy teeth.

 Health benefits abound in buckthorn, but it also has benefits to our waistlines too. Buckthorn’s miracle fruit status continues with it’s ability to help the body stop storing fat. How does it do this? It contains Palmitoleic acid (which is also called Omega 7, and is rare), a fatty acid that helps melt fat. Sea buckthorn can be found in supplement form (including diet pills) as well as in teas, oils and juices.

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